Touchy subject : the history and philosophy of sex education / Lauren Bialystok and Lisa M.F. Andersen.

Author/creator Bialystok, Lauren author.
Other author Andersen, Lisa M. F. author.
Format Book
PublicationChicago : The University of Chicago Press, 2022.
Copyright Date©2022
Description229 pages ; 24 cm.
Subjects

SeriesHistory and philosophy of education series
History and philosophy of education. ^A1325310
Contents Prudish or prudent: the origins of classroom-based sex education, 1880-1922 -- Happiness or public health: sex education's shifting purposes, 1920-1970 -- Peers or professionals: authority, activism, and sex education, 1970-2000 -- How much room is there for disagreement? -- Who's the boss? -- What are schools for? -- Conclusion: we're out of touch.
Abstract "In the United States, sex education is more than just an uncomfortable rite of passage, it's an amorphous curriculum that varies widely based on the politics, experience, resources, and biases of the people teaching it. Most often, it's a train wreck, overemphasizing or underemphasizing STIs, teen pregnancy, abstinence, and consent. In Touchy Subject, philosopher Lauren Bialystok and historian Lisa M. F. Andersen make the case for thoughtful sex education, explaining why it's worth fighting for and which kind most deserves our fight, despite all the inconveniences and compromises along the way. They argue that democratic and humanistic aims can be used to provide the tools to reason about the content and form of sex education. In practice, this amounts to a curriculum that meets what are currently considered highly comprehensive standards, incorporates ethics and civics education, and substantially modifies some aspects of teacher training and school design; it also assigns different responsibilities to different actors inside and outside schools, and it responds to the salient features of young people's evolving worlds, including the inequities that put some students at much higher risk of sexual harm than others. Throughout their inquiry, the authors show the reader how sex education has progressed and how the very concept of "progress" remains contestable"-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
Genre/formHistory.
LCCN 2022010467
ISBN9780226822167 hardcover
ISBN0226822168 hardcover
ISBN9780226822181 paperback
ISBN0226822184 paperback
ISBNelectronic book

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks HQ57.5 .A3 B53 2022 ✔ Available Place Hold